I once heard a man speaking and he said that he "got high by flying." Many of them laughed but when I heard it I knew it must have been a true high. I was 14 when I first thought about what that man had said and I knew that I may want to someday experience that "high". My dream came true one day, and it was a day I would never forget.

It was a very warm and sunny day in the swealtering heat of June...lemonade wasn't pungent enough to expel the dryness from our mouths, yet we carried on. Learning to fly is not an "easy" thing to do; it takes practice and patience. I had become annoyed with myself simply because I was having trouble with landings. For me, landing is the hardest part because you really need to know your stuff

Well I had done 52 landings that day and I was exhausted. I went to bed thinking that I would not be able to solo the airplane unless I got my act together. The following day was the "Solo Day." It was the day when pilots were made or dreams shattered. I was hoping I was not in the latter. My instructor and I took off and flew around from airport to airport performing some landings. I knew he was checking up on me and I began to get nervous. I didn't think he had confidence in me and I wasn't sure of my own abilities. He told me to land the airplane at the local airport and that he needed something to drink. I figured he meant alcohol so that he wouldn't have to put up with my flying.

We landed at the airport and I taxied the airplane over to where one would normally park a plane to get out. I pulled up and began to shut the plane off and my instructor asked me what I was doing. Baffled, I told him I was shuting down the airplane. Surely a man of 50,000 hours of flying, knew that I was going to turn the aircraft off. He proceeded to tell me that I wasn't getting out to get a drink, HE was! He said, "You have some flying to do. You're ready!" Story Index

My heart began to race and the excitement was almost unbearable. I was about to travel alone into the skies with a 180 horsepowered aircraft. As he gave me a nod and shut the door the fear of being alone for the first time began to overcome the excitement. I was afraid that something might go wrong, but I was excited about the challenge I was about to endure.

I started the aircraft down towards the runway and I waited to depart. I couldn't wait any longer, it was now or never. I was cleared for departure and my heart was racing faster. I had a conversation with myself, but I don't remember what I said. I rolled the airplane onto the runway, applied full power, and began to pull off the runway. "Liftoff" I screamed to myself. I was never more excited. My palms were sweaty and my heart was beating, but I was never happier. I knew from that moment on that the thrill of flying would always be one of my greatest experiences. Story Index

I landed safely that day and never forgot the anticipation that I had during the whole week leading up to the solo. The fear, excitement and joy of flying resulted from a week of strenuous training and self-assurance that I was ready, willing, and able to get "high." Story Index

Emotion Structure of the Story

• AGENTS
  1. The SPEAKER
  2. The NARRATOR
  3. The OTHER STUDENTS
  4. The FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR
• EMOTIONS
  1. Liking S The Narrator finds flying appealing and would satisfy his desire to fly an airplane.
     • Appealingness: 8 (very exciting to him)
  2. Hope S The Narrator hopes to one day pilot an airplane. He hopes to solo an airplane after taking lessons.
     • Temporal Proximity: 0.1 (goal is somewhat down the road in time since there are age requirements to fly)
     • Certainty: 0.1 (Narrator is pretty sure that he will do this in the future)
  3. Disliking S The heat is very bothersome to the Narrator. He would much rather take flying lessons in a much cooler environment.
     • Goal Blockage: 4 (The sun is somewhat hindering the Narrator's ability to concentrate on flying thus making it harder to fly in general)
     • Importance to Agent: 9 (Narrator really wants to learn how to fly well)
     • Physical Well-Being: 1.0 (Narrator is extremely uncomfortable and feels nautious at times in the swealtering heat)
  4. Disliking S The Narrator does not like to do landings. He knows, however, that to be a good pilot, and eventually solo, he must be able to do landings.
     • Goal Blockage: -8 (If you can't land, you can't fly!)
     • Repulsiveness: -7 (Narrator hates landings because they involve several processes at once)
     • Effort: 2 (Narrator is already fully immersed in his flight training and simply needs to perfect landings to complete his goal)
     • Importance of Having Standard Upheld: 6 (Knows it is imperative part of flying and all pilots should know how to land)
     • Importance of Not Having Goal Blocked: 8 (This is the main part of flying that is holding up the Narrator's ability to fly solo)
  5. Fear S After 52 landings the Narrator is uncertain as to whether or not he has performed to the expectations of the Flight Instructor thus, is unsure whether he will solo or not.
     • Goal Realization: 7 (Realizes that although he is having trouble with one fundamental aspect he has still progressed very far towards his solo)
     • Certainty: 0.3 (He is more certain that he will accomplish his goal of soloing)
     • Importance to Agent of Achieving Goal: 7 (The Narrator feels it is very important to solo so that he can progress further in his flying)
  6. Hope S The Narrator relaizes that tomorrow is "Solo Day"; this is the day that a student pilot either solos or does not. He has been waiting for this moment since he first thought about learning to fly.
     • Certainty: 0.5 (Although he sees he is still doing bad he is more assured that he is doing better and may possibly solo)
     • Importance to Agent of Achieving Goal: 9 (Very important since tomorrow will determine whether he continue to fly more or not)
     • Depresssion: 1 (Still feels that his landings will be the final nail in his proverbial coffin for flying)
  7. Reproach S The Narrator is displeased that the Flight Instructor is checking him for such a long time on "Solo Day." It appears that his chances of soloing as time decreases.
     • Blameworthiness: -3 (The Flight Instructor sees the Narrator's bad landings and is unable to let him solo until he gets it right)
     • Deservingness: 1 (The Flight Instructor realizes the Narrator is improving)
     • Creditableness: 2.2 (Both the Flight Instructor and Narrator have bonded and the Flight Instructor would much rather praise him for the good the Narrator is doing in case he doesn't get to solo. The Flight Instructor still wants the Narrator to continue flying and not become depressed)
  8. Reproach S The Narrator realizes that his landings are helping him to reach his goal and affirms his belief that all pilots must know how to land.
     • Goal Blockage: -9 (Landing at the airport without the Flight Instructor saying anything about soloing gives the Narrator the impression that he will not solo)
     • Emotional Interrelatedness: 2 (The Flight Instructor and the Narrator are at the peak of their time together and have become good friends. They will remain friends no matter what happens and no matter what the Flight Instructor is about to tell the student, i.e. that he will or will not solo now)
     • Depression: 2.0 (The Narrator realizes his goal is virtually out of reach)
  9. Distress S Narrator is determining that he is definitely not going to solo and the Flight Instructor's absence of words is confirming those suspicions.
     • Goal Blockage: -8 (The Narrator is almost positive he won't solo)
     • Blameworthiness: -7 (The Narrator believes the Flight Instructor won't let the Narrator solo because he cannot land properly.)
     • Effort: 1 (The Narrator has had sufficient flight training and landings that are needed to achieve his goal)
  10. Gratification S The Narrator realizes his landings helped him to earn his solo and that it is important thaty all pilots know this as well.
      • Goal Realization: 9.5 (He has been given the o.k., all he needs to do is take off)
      • Appealingness: 10 (Flight Instructor is now the Narrator's best friend)
      • Certainty: 1 (He is in the plane alone now)
      • Surprisingness: 2.8 (Narrator was certain of failure to accomplish goal, but not now)
      • Importance to Agent of Having Standard Upheld: 10 (Must know how to land to be a pilot)
      • Arousal: 2 (Narrator is elated with emotion and practically giggling with joy)
      • Ecstacy: 2.5 (Major lifelong goal is about to be achieved)
  11. Pride S The Narrator's performaces on his last few landings proved to the Flight Instructor that he was a good pilot.
      • Praiseworthiness: 7 (The Flight Instructor praises him for improving so much)
      • Certainty: 9 (The final nod is the final assurance)
      • Deservingness: 3 (Flight Instructor knows the Narrator has earned his solo)
• Relationships
  1. The Speaker and the Narrator are in an anonymity relationship.
  2. The Narrator and the Flight Instructor are in a friendship relationship.
  3. The Narrator and Other Students are in an anonymity relationship.
• Objects
  1. Airplane
  2. Airport
  3. Solo Day
  4. Landings
  5. Soloing
  6. The saying "Get High By Flying"
  7. summer heat
  8. Narrator's body
  9. Flying
  10. Flight Instructor
  11. Experience of bad landing
  12. Experience of improving landings
• Occurrences
  1. Speaker speaks to Narrator
  2. Narrator is motivated to learn how to fly
  3. Narrator is learning how to fly
  4. Narrator performs landings (good and bad)
  5. Narrator goes to bed before Solo Day
  6. Narrator and Flight Instructor continue flying on Solo Day
  7. Narrator lands plane to let Flight Instructor out
  8. Flight Instructor gets out
  9. Flight Instructor tells Narrator to saty in plane
  10. Flight Instructor nods
  11. Narrator becomes happy
  12. Narrator solos safely
• Events
  1. Speaker speaks to Narrator and motivates him
  2. Narrator takes lessons in hot summer
  3. Narrator has trouble landing the airplane properly
  4. Narrator and Flight Instructor waste time on Solo Day to do more evaulative flying
  5. Narrator performs more landings well
  6. Narrator lands the plane and Flight Instructor gets out
  7. Narrator solos the plane safely
• Actions
  1. Narrator practiced landings with Flight Instructor in order to improve
  2. Narrator improved landings on Solo Day
  3. Narrator landed plane according to Flight Instructor's orders
  4. Narrator soloed the airplane based on the Flight Instructor's orders
• Goals
  1. The Speaker wants to motivate the Narrator to learn to fly
  2. The Narrator wants to solo and airplane and thus, learn to fly
  3. The Flight Instructor wants the Narrator to become a proficient pilot so that the Narrator may solo on Solo Day
  4. The Narrator wants to perfect his landings so that he may solo on Solo Day
  5. The Narrator wants to takeoff and land safely during his solo
• The Principles of the Agents
  1. NARRATOR: In order for me to learn how to fly I must enroll in Flight Training.
  2. NARRATOR: A Pilot must be able to land an airplane.
  3. FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: A student pilot must know how to properly land an airplane in order to become a pilot.
  4. NARRATOR: I must listen to whatever my Flight Instructor tells me to do since he is in charge.
  5. NARRATOR: If I am a good pilot I will solo on Solo Day
  6. All AGENTS: Good Pilots will solo on Solo Day
• Preferences
  1. NARRATOR: landing, and the experience of doing them poorly, is unattractive.
  2. SPEAKER: flying, especially for young people, is attractive.
  3. FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: soloing, and the perfection of all parts of flying, is attractive.
  4. NARRATOR: soloing, and the perfection of all parts of flying, is attractive.
  5. FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: bad landings, and the reproduction of only bad ones, is unattractive.
  6. FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR: good landings, and the reproduction of only good ones, is attractive.
  7. NARRATOR: good landings, and the reproduction of doing only good ones, is attractive.
  8. NARRATOR: soloing, especially on Solo Day, is attractive.
  9. NARRATOR: flying, especially as a young person, is attractive.

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